Surekha Sikri

Biography:

Surekha Sikri was a renowned Indian actress known for her work primarily in Hindi theatre, films, and television. She earned numerous accolades, including a Filmfare Award and three National Film Awards.

A veteran of Hindi theatre, Sikri made her debut in the 1977 political drama “Kissa Kursi Ka” and subsequently appeared in numerous Hindi and Malayalam films, as well as Indian soap operas. She won the National Film Award for Best Supporting Actress three times for her roles in “Tamas” (1988), “Mammo” (1995), and “Badhaai Ho” (2018). Surekha Sikri’s most acclaimed performance as “Dadisa” in “Balika Vadhu” earned her the Indian Telly Award for Best Actress in a Negative Role in 2008 and Best Actress in a Supporting Role in 2011. She also received the Sangeet Natak Akademi Award in 1989 for her contributions to Hindi theater.

Sikri was from Uttar Pradesh and spent her childhood in Almora and Nainital. She studied at Aligarh Muslim University and graduated from the National School of Drama (NSD) in 1971. She worked with the NSD Repertory Company for over a decade before moving to Mumbai. She was married to Hemant Rege, with whom she had a son, Rahul Sikri, an artist based in Mumbai. Her husband passed away from heart failure on 20 October 2009. Naseeruddin Shah was her former brother-in-law. Sikri passed away on 16 July 2021 at the age of 76 due to cardiac arrest, having suffered complications from two previous brain strokes.